On 22 December 1992, at Geneva, the Additional Plenipotentiary Conference concluded the Constitution and Convention of the International Telecommunication Union. Originals in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, deposited in the archives of the Union; in the event of discrepancy the French text shall prevail (Constitution, Article 58(4)–(5)). Depositary: the Secretary-General of the ITU. Registration: UNTS 31251, volumes 1825–1826. Constitution Article 58(1): they enter into force on 1 July 1994 between Members having deposited before that date their instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Article 58(2): from that date they shall, as between Parties, abrogate and replace the International Telecommunication Convention (Nairobi, 1982). Conference Resolution 1 provided for provisional application of the provisions on the new structure from 1 March 1993.

The preamble fully recognizes the sovereign right of each State to regulate its telecommunication. Article 4: the instruments of the Union are the Constitution (the basic instrument), the Convention which complements it, and the Administrative Regulations — the International Telecommunication Regulations and the Radio Regulations — which are binding; the Constitution prevails over the Convention and the Regulations, the Convention over the Regulations. Article 6: Members are bound to abide by them in offices and stations engaged in international services or capable of causing harmful interference, except as in Article 48, and to impose observance on authorized operating agencies.

Article 1: the purposes include cooperation for the improvement and rational use of telecommunications of all kinds, technical assistance to developing countries, efficient operation of services, extension of new technologies, use of telecommunication services to facilitate peaceful relations, and harmonization of Members’ actions. To that end the Union allocates bands of the radio-frequency spectrum, registers frequency assignments and geostationary-orbit positions in order to avoid harmful interference, facilitates worldwide standardization, and promotes measures ensuring the safety of life through cooperation of telecommunication services. This is not a handbook of frequency assignment.

Article 7: the structure comprises the Plenipotentiary Conference (supreme organ), the Council, world conferences on international telecommunications, the Radiocommunication Sector (including the Radio Regulations Board), the Telecommunication Standardization Sector, the Telecommunication Development Sector, and the General Secretariat. Article 8: the Plenipotentiary Conference is convened every four years; it determines the general policies in Article 1, the basis for the budget and an expenditure ceiling, and elects the Members of the Council. Article 2: Members are States parties to a prior convention, United Nations Members acceding under Article 53, and other States after approval by two-thirds.

Article 52: simultaneous ratification, acceptance or approval in one single instrument, deposited with the Secretary-General; for two years from entry into force a signatory without an instrument retains the rights in Article 3, then loses the right to vote until deposit. Article 54: the Administrative Regulations are binding international instruments; ratification of the Constitution and Convention constitutes consent to be bound by the Regulations adopted before signature, subject to reservations maintained. Article 56: disputes by negotiation, diplomatic channels, treaties on settlement, or, failing those, arbitration under the Convention; the Optional Protocol on compulsory settlement applies only as between parties to it. Article 57: simultaneous denunciation, taking effect after one year.

The lists of signatories and Parties are not set out here. The Final Acts also contain resolutions and a recommendation, not summarized article by article.

ITU Headquarters, Geneva, not the conference hall. Wikimedia Commons, free licence.

For context: Constitution and Convention of the International Telecommunication Union. The text: Final Acts of the Additional Plenipotentiary Conference (Geneva, 1992).